Canadian ski cross racer Reece Howden won a World Cup gold medal in Kopaonik, Serbia, and dedicated his victory to his teammate Kevin Drury, who was injured in a crash during the competition. Howden’s win marked his 23rd World Cup gold medal, setting a new record for the Cultus Lake, B.C., native. The incident occurred when Howden collided with Florian Wilmsmann, causing Drury to crash into the fallen German skier. Despite being the only skier to finish the race, Howden was disqualified for a line deviation at the time of the crash, allowing Drury to secure a silver medal without crossing the finish line.
The race on Friday is likely to be Drury’s final competition as the 37-year-old had planned to retire after this season. Drury, a Toronto native, shared a post with his right leg wrapped and immobilized, expressing disappointment but gratitude for the podium finish.
After his victory, Howden praised Drury as a role model and expressed his emotions about the unfortunate incident. Howden emphasized that his win was in honor of Drury and encouraged supporters to sing the national anthem for his teammate. Wilmsmann claimed the silver medal, while Youri Duplessis-Kergomard from France secured bronze in the men’s event.
In the women’s competition, Sweden’s Sandra Naeslund clinched her second consecutive gold medal, accompanied by Daniela Maier from Germany and Saskja Lack from Switzerland with silver and bronze medals, respectively. Ottawa’s Hannah Schmidt had a strong performance, finishing fifth after winning the small final.
The World Cup ski cross circuit continues with three more events this season, with the next stop scheduled for March 12 in Montafon, Austria.